Batadrava (Assam), Dec. 19 (PTI): The Assam government which has been carrying out an ongoing drive to evict "encroachers" on land belonging to the government or Vaishnavite Sattras (monasteries), on Monday launched eviction operations at medieval saint Sankardeva's birthplace here, a senior police official said.
The drive in the state's Nagoan district, billed as the largest in terms of the number of people affected uprooting more than 5,000 "encroachers", was launched early morning from the Santijian area amidst tight security with a battalion of Assam police deployed to ward off possible opposition to the move.
It comes over a year after a similar large scale eviction drive in September 2021 In Dhalpur in nearby Darrang district resulted in violence which saw police firing, killing two people and injuring 20 others. In between a number of small and large eviction drives were carried out by the state government.
Nearly 90 per cent of the encroached lands have been cleared and there was no report of any violence or protest from any part, Nagaon superintendent of police Leena Doley told reporters here.
"People have cooperated with us ... ", she claimed adding more than 80 per cent of the people dismantled their houses, shops and other structures "on their own". In all, some 50 bulldozers were used in the excercise, other officials said.
The land which belongs to the state government is near the birthplace of Vaishnava saint Sankardeva, and is considered semi-sacred by most Assamese. This, political analysts said, has resulted in little or no opposition to the move by either political parties or rights groups.
"We will cooperate and move out but we should be given a proper rehabilation package with documentation," Shahunur Alam, an affected farmer said. Most of the settlers in the area are from the minority community and had settled as farmers or fishermen on the lands for more than decades locals, who were unwilling to be named, claimed.
Many of those affected have moved in with relatives in nearby villages and towns or moved to nearby districts but are demanding land as compensation with proper government documentation, locals said.
The deputy commissioner had earlier issued prohibitory orders to prevent any gathering and check any untoward incident.
The eviction drive to clear over 1,200 bighas of encroached land will take place over the next four days and tight security arrangements have been made in the area, police said.
A large police force under its senior officers has been camping in the area since December 13 and has held flag marches, Doley said.
A similar exercise will be carried out also at the nearby Haidubi, Lalungaon, Jamaibasti and Balisatra areas to clear encroached government land, the SP said.
"After Santijan Bazaar we will clear land at Haidubi area and depending on the time taken there, we will take a decision on carrying out the drive in the remaining two villages," she said.
The district administration had served notices to over 1,000 families of alleged encroachers in October.
Deputy Commissioner Narendra Kumar Shah said that the plan to clear the land of encroachers was initiated two months ago and that the administration has been, "urging people to clear the land on their own'.
There has been no obstruction to the eviction so far by any resident of the area and the exercise has been "peaceful so far," DIG, Central range, Satya Ranjan Hazarika said.
The deputy commissioner had issued another notice stating that the Dhing indoor stadium would serve as temporary place of detention for those who resisted the eviction.
Clearing encroachments, particularly from the Sattra land here, was one of BJP's major poll issue in the last assembly election.